How do you know if the website you’re logging into is secure?
Safety is not only about the padlock next to the address. In order not to fall victim to an attack, you should also pay attention to other elements.
Christmas and other holidays are associated with buying gifts for your loved ones, and fraudsters take advantage of this by increasing their activity and setting traps in places where you would not expect them. Be cautious so that you can enjoy the holidays in peace and quiet.
Which places could this be and why is it necessary to be cautious?
Fake e-shops
Be wary of unknown e-shops and tempting advertisements with suspiciously low prices. Always verify the seller using independent reviews. If you are shopping at a well-known e-shop, pay attention to even minor differences in the address, graphic design, or functioning of the website.
Online bazaars
Be careful when selling goods on online bazaars. Fraudsters often pose as serious buyers and try to lure sensitive personal data or payment instructions out of you, especially through links to fake websites that may look like legitimate websites of reliable payment or shipping services.
Purchase delivery
Fraudsters often pose as shipping companies such as DHL, PPL, GLS, or DPD, and under the pretext of paying for shipping or customs duty are trying to obtain your sensitive data. Do not send your login details to anyone. Don't pay any unusual fees. Don't install apps for tracking shipments from unknown sources.
Another common fraud is when someone delivers a package you didn't order and asks for cash. Before you know it, the courier is gone and the value of the "purchased" goods is zero.
Payment for online purchases
Use a secure payment method. Always check all details when confirming a card payment. With fraudulent e-shops, it may happen that the fraudster increases the amount, changes the currency, or modifies the name of the merchant in order to steal your money. Check the transactions on your account.
YouTube and WhatsApp platforms
A new scam is exploiting YouTube and WhatsApp. Fraudsters are trying to lure victims with the promise of easy and quick money by liking videos and visiting websites.
Fraudsters contact people via WhatsApp or Messenger with job offers. They offer easy money for liking videos on YouTube or visiting websites. They promise a small reward for a few likes, which they actually pay into the victim's account. After the initial payment, they pressure the victim to purchase a premium membership, which promises many times higher rewards for the victim's work. In reality, the victim will never get the money back.
And WhatsApp again
Another common scam on WhatsApp involves fraudulent messages with links under the pretext of voting in a competition. The request to vote will not come from an unknown contact, but from someone you have saved in your contacts - perhaps even a relative or acquaintance. Anyone who clicks on the fake link unwittingly allows fraudsters to take control of their account in this application. Your WhatsApp account will be paired with the attacker's device, who can then contact all your saved contacts on your behalf.
Loan applications are then sent out in your name. There is a high probability that if someone close to you asks you for a larger amount of money, you will not hesitate to send them.
